Purpose

Jamie and Ari like each other. Karin and Tom do too. They might be at two separate parties, but their stories are identical. Until something happens, and they really aren’t.

On the tide of #metoo and #timesup, Yes Yes Yes is an essential conversation starter for teenagers, parents, teachers and anyone seeking to create positive change in the lives of our rangatahi.

Part confession, part documentary, and part open conversation, Yes Yes Yes is a theatre show that explores the knotty and necessary topics of healthy relationships, desire and consent. This work from award- winning duo Karin McCracken and Eleanor Bishop blends audience interaction with a captivating solo performance, and features in-depth interviews with teenagers from around Aotearoa.

Yes Yes Yes is based on a previous show by theatremaker Eleanor Bishop called Jane Doe, which examined rape culture and consent and was born out of Eleanor’s time studying in the United States. After bringing Jane Doe back to Aotearoa and developing a local version of the show with Karin McCracken, the show received resounding acclaim at home and at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.

We agreed with Lyn, but we knew that the show that would resonate best would be a new show built from the ground up, working alongside local teenagers and sexual abuse prevention experts.

So, working with Rape Prevention Education as advisors, we also enlisted the help of year 13 students from two Auckland secondary schools - Papakura High School and Epsom Girls’ Grammar School, along with a Wellington school - Newlands College. This allowed us to flesh out the storyline in a way that was true to the students we hope to represent and gave life to a diverse range of stories within the narrative of Yes Yes Yes.

Our hope is that Yes Yes Yes will continue to evolve, as the challenges that face teenagers, ideas of consent and healthy relationships continue to change.

Yes Yes Yes was commissioned by Auckland Live in 2017 because we wanted to support Eleanor and Karin in creating a show made for and with Secondary School students based on their experiences from performing Jane Doe. As part of the creation, Yes Yes Yes had a two-night development showing in 2018 at the Auckland Town Hall’s Concert Chamber for students from Papakura High School and Epsom Girls Grammar School. Based on the overwhelmingly positive feedback from both students and teachers, we programmed Yes Yes Yes to be the first show in our 2019 Secondary Schools Theatre Programme.